3mcrirnn  ConrH  of  (!Tomntissionrrs  for 


JForcigu  Itlissions. 


MICRONCSIAN  MISSION. 


A CONUENSF.I)  SKETCH. 


1852-1887. 


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BOSTON : 

printcl)  bn  Stanirn  & iElsfKr!’ 
1887. 


The  Micronesian  Mission. 


Location.  — Micronesia,  meaning  “ Little 
Islands,”  embraces  four  principal  groups  with 
about  one  thousand  islands,  lying  mostly  just 
north  of  the  equator,  between  longitude  io6° 
and  145"  west  from  Washington;  five  thousand 
miles  southwest  from  .San  Francisco;  from  Hono- 
lulu, twenty-five  iuindred  miles.  The  groups, 
beginning  with  tlic  most  eastern  and  southern, 
are  the  Gilbert,  Marshall,  Caroline,  and  Ladronc 
Islands.  Missions  of  the  American  Board  are 
scattered  over  an  area  measuring  twenty -five 
hundred  miles  from  east  to  west,  and  some 
twelve  hundred  miles  from  north  to  south,  con- 
fined to  the  three  groups  first  named.  The  L;i- 
drone  Islands  are  under  .Spanish  lule,  and  the 
native  population  is  nearly  extinct.  The  Mort- 
lock  Islands,  a small  group  witiiin  the  Caroline, 
with  Ruk  and  several  other  islands,  constitute 
the  foreign  missionary  field  of  the  I’onape 
Christians.  The  Hawaiian  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion has  co-operated  with  the  Board  in  work  in 
the  Gilbert  and  Marshall  Islands. 


4 


Character  of  the  Islands.  — Except  a few 
in  the  Caroline  group,  all  are  of  coral  formation. 
They  consist  of  a belt  of  coral  reef  rising  to  low- 
water  mark  and  enclosing  a lagoon,  into  which 
usually  one  or  more  passages  lead  from  the  open 
sea.  Upon  this  reef  are  islets  formed  of  coral, 
sand,  and  rocks,  washed  up  by  the  waves,  rising 
from  four  to  ten  feet  above  high-water  mark,  the 
tide  flowing  about  three  feet.  These  islets  are 
covered  thickly  with  trees,  and  can  be  seen  ten 
or  fifteen  miles  at  sea.  The  lagoons  which  have 
channels  are  good  harbors,  but  are  often  inacces- 
sible to  sailing  ve.ssels  during  the  trade  winds. 

Kusaie  and  Ponape,  of  the  Caroline  group,  are 
of  basaltic  formation,  and  have  mountains  from 
two  to  three  thousand  feet  high.  Ruk,  Pelew, 
and  Yap  are  also  high  islands. 

Climate  and  Products.  — Perpetual  sum- 
mer reigns.  The  thermometer  ranges  from  72“ 
to  90°  Fahrenheit;  at  Ponape,  from  74°  to  87“ ; 
at  Apaiang,  from  80°  to  90°.  Coral  islands  are 
not  ordinarily  fertile.  Three  principal  products 
support  human  life:  (i)  The  cocoanut-palm, 
growing  wild  on  all  the  islands.  It  has 
branches  only  at  the  top,  and  is  often  eighty 
feet  high.  (2)  The  bread-fruit  tree,  a beautiful 
tree  growing  on  all  the  groups  except  the  Gilbert. 


/ 


s 

Its  general  appearance  is  not  unlike  the  oak.  A 
fon  igner,  who  has  this  fruit  properly  cooked, 
linds  it  nutritious  and  a good  substitute  for  pota- 
toes. (3)  The  pandanus  - tree,  or  screw- pine, 
bearing  a large  buncli  of  juicy  fruit.  Besides 
the.se  fruit-trees,  taro,  an  ediljle  root,  is  grown. 
On  the  high  islands,  espcci.dly  Kusale  and  Pon- 
ape,  there  is  a much  larger  range  of  products, 
including  more  than  a dozen  kinds  of  bananas. 
Various  tropical  fruits  are  now  introduced. 

Fish  are  taken  in  abundance.  There  were  no 
animals  on  the  coral  islands,  but  many  .sea-birds. 
Pigs  and  cliickens  have  been  introduced.  The 
hills  of  Kusaie  and  Ponape  are  covered  with  for- 
est trees,  where  plenty  of  wild  pigs  and  pigeons 
are  found. 

Population.  — The  inhabitants  are  of  the 
brown  Polynesian  race,  having  straight  hair. 
As  no  census  has  ever  been  taken,  estimates  of 
the  population  vary  greatly.  The  Gilbert  Island- 
ers were  said,  a few  years  ago,  to  number  aljout 
thirty  thousand  : there  arc  now  thought  to  be  not 
far  from  twenty  thousand.  The  Marshall  Island- 
ers have  been  estimated  at  fourteen  thou.sand. 
Ponape  has  a population  of  about  five  thousand ; 
the  Mortlocks  and  Ruk  about  fourteen  thousand ; 
Mokil  and  Pingelap  about  twelve  hundred  and 
fifty;  Yap  about  eight  or  ten  thousand. 


V 


6 

Government.  — Many  of  the  islands  have 
chiefs,  whose  authority  is  hereditary.  On  Pon- 
ape  tliere  are  several  tribes,  each  having  an  inde- 
pendent king  or  chieftain.  Generally  the  rank 
is  derived  from  the  mother.  I\Iany  of  the  Gil- 
bert Islands  are  ruled  by  an  assembly  of  “old 
men.” 

Homes  and  Habits  of  the  People.  — In 
the  Gilbert  and  IMarshall  Islands  the  houses 
have  no  sides  for  about  four  feet  from  the  ground, 
with  a closed  attic  and  a thatched  roof.  In  the 
Caroline  Islands  the  houses  have  sides  covered 
with  light  wood  or  reeds.  The  people  sleep  in 
these  attics,  or,  in  dry  weather,  on  the  ground, 
with  a wooden  pillow  and  a mat  covering.  Be- 
fore the  gospel  came  to  them,  the  men  in  the 
Gilbert  Islands  went  nearly  or  quite  naked ; the 
women  wearing  a little  fringed  skirt.  In  the 
Marshall  Islands  the  women  wore  two  mats 
belted  at  their  waists,  and  the  men  had  a fringed 
skirt.  The  Caroline  Islanders,  as  a general 
thing,  were  not  so  well  clad  as  the  Marshall  Is- 
landers. Both  men  and  women  were  elaborately 
tattooed;  but  this  heathenish  custom  is  rapidly 
passing  away.  There  was  no  marriage  rite 
known  ; but  the  pairing  of  men  and  women  was 
respected.  They  seemed  to  care  for  their  chil- 


/ 


7 

dren,  but  had  less  regard  for  old  people.  The 
men  spent  their  time  in  fishing,  in  canoe-build- 
ing, and  in  getting  food  for  their  chiefs.  The 
women  were  employed  in  twisting  cord,  to  Uike 
the  place  of  nails  and  pegs,  and  in  making  mats 
and  sails  for  proas.  The  people  are  greatly  ad- 
dicted to  war,  and  their  feuds  have  resulted  in  a 
great  decrease  of  the  population  of  many  of  the 
islands.  Each  of  the  main  groups  has  its  own 
language,  while  in  the  Caroline  group  there  are 
si.x  or  eight  distinct  languages. 

Religious  Ideas.  — .Spirits  of  ancestors  and 
other  spirits  were  worshiped,  but  no  idols. 
The  people  were  very  superstitious,  but  had  no 
concei)tion  of  a Supreme  Cod,  and  no  idea  of 
sacrifice.  Certain  places,  regarded  as  the  resorts 
of  spirits,  were  not  cros.sed.  .Some  islands  had 
priests,  who,  in  times  of  sickness,  and  on  special 
occasions,  practised  their  incantations,  pretend- 
ing to  converse  with  the  dead. 

The  Mission  ok  the  A.merican  IIoakd. 
— In  1S52,  three  missionaries,  Messrs.  Snow, 
Gulick,  and  Sturges,  with  their  wives,  and  two 
Hawaiian  teachers,  settled  on  Ku.saie  and  I’on- 
ape,  receiving  a welcome  from  the  unclad  and 
wild  people.  In  1S55,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doane 


8 


sailed  from  Honolulu  for  Ponape,  followed  the 
same  year  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Pierson,  who  re- 
mained at  Kusaie  with  Mr.  Snow.  On  their 
way  they  explored  many  of  the  Gilbert  and  Mar- 
shall Islands,  and  advised  that  they  be  occupied. 
The  next  year,  the  first  Mornmg  Star  sailed 
from  Boston,  carrying  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bingham, 
who,  in  November,  1857,  reached  Apaiang,  of 
the  GUbert  group,  and  on  the  same  voyage  of  the 
Star  Messrs.  Pierson  and  Doane,  w'ith  their 
wives,  were  stationed  at  Ebon,  one  of  the  Mar- 
shall Islands.  Thus,  in  1857,  the  three  groups 
were  opened  for  Christian  work. 

The  Marshall  Islanders  were  known  as  treach- 
erous, and  many  warnings  were  given  the  mis- 
sionaries against  landing  among  them ; but  the 
way  was  wonderfully  prepared  for  their  coming. 
The  languages  of  the  several  groups  were  stud- 
ied and  reduced  to  writing,  and  after  six  years 
two  persons  were  received  to  the  church  at 
Kusaie.  In  nine  years  there  were  thiity  con- 
verts on  that  i.sland,  and  Mr.  St  ow  was  then 
transferred  to  Ebon.  On  Ponape  it  was  eight 
years  before  the  first  natives  were  received  to 
the  church;  but  by  1867  there  were  one  hundred 
and  si.xty-thrce  members,  and  one  thousand  per- 
sons who  could  read.  In  i860.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Pierson  were  compelled,  by  ill-health,  to  with- 


9 


draw  from  the  mission  ; and,  for  a similar  reason, 
two  years  later.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gulick  withdrew. 
In  1865,  Mr.  Bingham,  too,  was  forced  to  return 
to  the  United  S totes,  leaving  tlie  work  on  Apai- 
ang  in  charge  of  the  Hawaiian  teacher.  In  No- 
vember of  1866  he  sailed  from  Boston  in  com- 
mand of  the  new  Morning  Star,  built  by  the 
contributions  of  the  children.  In  1868,  fifteen 
years  from  the  beginning,  there  were  five  hun- 
dred and  forty-five  church  members  in  all  the 
mission,  one  hundred  and  forty-four  having  been 
added  during  the  previous  year.  In  1871,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Whitney  joined  the  mission,  followed, 
in  1874,  by  Messrs.  Logan,  Taylor,  and  Rand, 
with  their  wives,  — Mrs.  Taylor  dying  only  a few 
weeks  after  arriving  at  Apaiang.  The  statistics 
of  1873  report  nine  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
members,  with  one  hundred  and  eighty-nine  ad- 
ditions. In  1875,  lliere  were,  on  various  islands, 
about  twenty  churches,  with  an  aggregate  mem- 
bership of  not  far  from  twelve  hundred.  The 
New  Testament,  or  a portion  of  it,  had  been 
translated  into  four  dialects,  and  two  and  a half 
million  pages  had  been  printed. 

Year  b)-  year  new  islands  were  visited  and 
supplied  with  teachers.  Tingelap  and  Mokll 
were  entered  in  1871  ; the  Mortlocks,  in  1874; 
Ruk,  in  1879.  The  Mortlocks,  included  among 


lO 


the  Caroline  Islands,  were  chosen  as  the  foreign 
missionary  field  of  the  Ponape  Christians,  and 
they  have  supplied  the  necessary  teachers.  In 
1875  P'ingham’s  health  was  so  seriously 

impaired  that  he  removed,  with  his  wife,  to 
Honolulu,  where  they  have  since  devoted  their 
strength  to  labors  in  behalf  of  the  Gilbert  Island- 
ers, in  preparing  books,  etc.  In  1877  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Pease  joined  the  mission,  while  Mr.  Tay- 
lor and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snow  returned  to  the 
United  States.  The  Report  of  1878  gives  four- 
teen hundred  and  ninety-eight  church  members, 
with  three  hundred  and  fifty-eight  additions. 
In  that  year  the  Star  visiled  twenty-six  dift'er- 
ent  islands.  In  1880  Mr.  Taylor  rejoined  the 
mission  at  the  Gilbert  Islands,  but,  on  account 
of  the  death  of  his  wife,  a sister  of  the  first  Mrs. 
Taylor,  has  been  compelled  again  to  withdraw. 
In  the  same  year,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walkup  joined 
the  mission,  followed,  in  1881,  by  Miss  Cathcart. 
and,  in  1882,  by  Miss  Fletcher.  Two  years 
later  Miss  Palmer  went  out  for  Ponape,  and  in 
1886  Misses  Crosby,  Hemingway,  and  Smith 
reached  Kusaie,  to  be  connected  with  the  schools 
for  the  Marshall  and  Gilbert  Islands.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Logan  took  up  their  residence  on  Ruk  in 
1884,  thus  opening  a new  station  from  which  not 
only  the  whole  Ruk  archipelago  could  be  worked. 


but  securing  a near  point  for  the  supervision  of 
(he  churches  on  the  Mortlock  group. 

No  American  missionaries  are  now  residing  in 
either  the  Gilbert  or  Marshall  groups.  The 
training-schools  for  both  these  groups  are  on 
Kusaie,  where  foreigners  can  dwell  with  much 
less  peril  to  health.  The  foreign  laborers  among 
the  (blbert  l.slanders  are  all  Hawaiians,  and  the 
work  there  is  conducted  by  the  Hawaiian  Evan- 
gelical A.ssociation,  in  cooperation  with  the  Amer- 
ican Hoard.  No  other  mi.ssionary  organization 
is  engaged  in  Micronesia  except  the  London 
■Mi.ssionary  .Society,  which  employs  a few  helpers 
in  the  .southernmost  islands  of  the  Gilbert  group, 
in  connection  with  its  .Samoan  Mission. 

I!y  reports  received  in  1886,  there  were,  in  our 
Micronesian  Mission,  fifty-one  churches,  with 
forty-nine  hundred  and  eighty-five  members ; 
sixteen  native  pastors ; and  a total  of  forty-four 
native  Laborers,  including  Hawaiians.  More  than 
thirty  difierent  islands  are  now  occupied.  The 
.savage  people  have  been  tamed.  On  many  isl- 
ands no  heathenism  is  found  ; on  others  it  is  fast 
di.sappearing.  The  New  Testament  and  Chris- 
tian books  are  in  the  hands  of  the  people.  The 
native  Christians,  under  the  guidance  of  the 
mi.ssionaries,  are  already  and  are  to  be  yet  more 
and  more,  the  great  evangelizing  agency. 


The  Morning  Star.  — Four  vessels  of  this 
name  have  done  service  for  the  American  Hoard 
in  Micronesia : (i)  A brigantine,  launched  No- 
vember 12,  1856,  at  a cost  of  $18,351.  She  was 
sold,  after  ten  yeans’  service,  for  $5,812.  (2) 

The  second  Star  was  launched  September  22, 
1866,  costing  $23,406.  She  was  wrecked  upon 
the  island  of  Kusaie  during  a calm,  October  18, 
1S69.  (3)  The  third  Star  was  a brig  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty-one  tons,  ninety-eight  feet 
long.  She  cost  $28,462,  of  which  sum  $19,087 
were  received  from  insurance  of  the  previous 
vessel.  She  was  wrecked  off  the  harbor  of 
Kusaie,  February  22,  1883.  (4)  The  fourth 
is  a barkentine  of  about  430  tons  burden,  with 
auxiliary  steam-power  to  be  used  in  calms  and 
currents.  She  cost,  with  her  machinery  and  out- 
fit $44,280.62,  and  was  launched  at  Bath,  Maine, 
August  6,  1884.  The  amount  raised,  chiefly  by 
the  clfildren,  for  the  first  vessel  was  $28,505; 
for  the  second,  $28,792;  for  the  third,  $9,021  ; 
for  the  fourth,  $48,275.33;  total  for  the  four 
ve.ssels,  $1 14,593.'33.  This  sum  has  not  only 
built  the  four  vessels,  but  has  been  available,  to 
some  extent,  for  repairs  and  running  expenses. 


